Atlanta Braves sign former All-Star after Ozzie Albies injury

After losing All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies to a broken wrist, the Atlanta Braves have added another former All-Star to their roster.

The Braves signed Whit Merrifield, who had just been released by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Merrifield, 35, isn’t the player he once was, but if he gets regular at-bats with Atlanta, he might be able to turn things around. He was hitting just .199 with three homers in Philadelphia, but he had just 156 at-bats, less than half of what a regular player has at this time of year.

Merrifield played nine years with the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays, in addition to Philadelphia. One of the most accomplished players of the last decade, he has a career batting average of .281 with 93 home runs and 212 stolen bases.

He led the American League in steals three times and led the major leagues in hits in two different seasons. He was also a three-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 2018.

It’s unclear at this point whether Merrifield will need rehab games to get back into his groove. He last played for the Phillies on July 10, so it makes sense that he’ll be ready to play when the Braves face the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.

Atlanta starts the season with a 54-44 record. They currently sit in first place in the National League wild-card bracket. Albies is expected to miss eight weeks due to his injury.

Continue to follow our coverage of Fastball on FanNation on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @FastballFN.